Can opener auxiliary



Patented Oct. 14, 952

Application Mayi,1947,' SerialNo.745;Z69

'This invention relates to an externaldev'ice whic'his adapted to be used in promoting sanitation and hygiene in the use of canned-millg evapora'ted or'con'densed. As iswell known, "dueto the methods used by the manufacturers of canned milk of sealing thecans in-which such milk is sold, the cans ordinarily are not provided with a rim at the ends of the can which is of suflicient thickness to permitthe-can'to be opened with the conventional types of can opener. This is true of either can openers of itherordinaryhanf 3 :Claims. (01. 220-85.)

died type, or the wall attachedrotary wheel and handle type. In 'fact, the customary method of dispensing the milk is by punching holes at the outer-edges of the top oppositeone anotherand pourin'g the contents through one, the otherservin'g' as a vent. Onelarge distributor of canned milk has even furnished its users with ice picks for this purpose.

v Obviously thisproceduredoes not guard against the possibility of contamination from such deposits of 1dust,germs, or dirt which may zbep'reserit on that part of the can cover which' iss'truck downtovform the-pouring hole. p 3

Theob'ject of this invention is to provide an auxiliary device which may be placed on cans of the type referred to and there used to facilitate the removal of the top in its entirety by using any conventional can opener. The instrumentality I propose is a cylinder of such dimensions as to be placed by endwise sliding movement on the exterior of the can and fit snugly to the can, formed with a collar at the top so that a conventional can opener may be used, and the entire can top thus removed. I

As described hereinafter, the device supplements the conventional rimless can by providing a'rim similar to that found in the conventional soup cans or others which have a rim to permit the use of can openers, by giving either a base for the handled knife point type or the gripping, wall or double handled type. The latter type, as is well known, have a clamping effect on the upstanding rim, and a cutting wheel which cuts through the top closely adjacent to the edge of the can. With this type of can opener, the conventional soup can top may be wholly removed leaving no part washed by the contents in removal thereof. By the use of my invention, the same result, i. e., a cutting adjacent the edge, may be made on a can which has no upstanding rim.

-In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows the cylinder and can;

Figure 2 shows the cylinder and can partly assembled;

tional cylinder.

Figure 3 is afragmentary sectional view of the can fully'assembled; l Figure 4*sh'ows a modification of -thie conven- Thecylind'er It, preferably of metaL -i E f; a size to fit "snugly around the can -I2;'-'the latter being'represented in Figs. '1' and 3 as a conventional condensed milk can provided wi'th'substantially flat flanged covers, theflangesof which embrace the side walls of the can and are-sealed to them; with no upstanding rim. ,"The cylinder is provided at the upper edge w'itha reinforced rim l4, which may-be provided by turning'or doubling the edge back on itself, either inwardly or outwardly and pressing the two parts firmly together. This reinforced rim; is higheno'ugh, but not too high, to provide abase, railior rim on Which'the conventionalhand type can opener may be pressed yinv opening the can, or which serves as a ,griphold for the Zgrippingsrnembers of the clamping and propelling types oil-opener.

,The, length of the cylinder, I have found, ,sshould be. from one-quarter to one-half or moresofrthe length of the .milk can, though a longer cylinder has no operative objection. The cylinder should be at least long enough to hold the can snugly and prevent any relative movement of the can and cylinder and I have found that a cylinder used on the customary thirteen ounce can is, as a rule, long enough, if itslength is in the order of one-quarter to one-half the diameter of the canton .Beyond that, any excessive length is a matter of choice and forms no part ofthe invention.

The cylinder may also be of springy material having a slit l6 extending throughout the length thereof as shown in Figure 4. This construction renders a single device adaptable to all sizes of can within the limits of the capacity of the particular cylinder, inasmuch as the cylinder may be compressed over a. can smaller than its normal circumference with the edges overlapping, or, if the can is larger, the cylinder may be moved around the can to produce a continuing holding edge for the can opener.

In all cases the cylinder should be provided with a means for preventing the reinforced rim I4 of the cylinder from being forced downwardly over the edge of the can. One form of stop means preventing such displacement of the cyl-, inder I have shown as a struck-in portion or knob 18 of the cylinder just beneath the upper edge. 'I prefer to provide two or more of these inward projections. A continuous struck-in poras it has the same eifect. The lower edge of the reinforced rim which is of a width substantially that of the conventional double seamed or rimmed can should -be positioned slightly beyond the outer face of the can end when the stop means engages this end, forming a shoulder which occupies about the same position relative to the can end as the inner face of the flange of a flanged endcan. Thus the reinforced rim of the device performs the functions of the flange of the flanged end in so far as its cooperation with a can opener is concerned.

By the use of my device, it will be seen that the top of the can may be removed cleanly and as a whole if desired; or a suitable clean cut may be made to permit a part'of the top to be pressed upwardly. Such a cutting of the top permits emptying of the contents without contamination .by flowing over any part of the can top.

I believe I am the first to provide an auxiliary device to facilitate the opening of cans of the rimless type. While I have referred to milk cans, it is obvious that rimless cans of the type in question may be used for many other materials such as "foods, juices, soups, paints or like materials, and to advantage, as such cans are much cheaper -to manufacture and seal. With all such cans my device may be used to advantage.

While it is currently found that the various companies selling canned milk use different sized cans, each company may find it feasible and desirable to furnish its consumers with the desired size of cylinder for the can used. The expense is not great and the desirability of the .use of my invention is obvious.

I claim:

1.-The combination with a rimless covered and sealed can, of a can opener support comprising an open cylinder fitted closely but separably around the outside of the can and having a rein} forced external rigid annular rim of substantially the 'same width as the flange of a flanged end can and positioned with its lower edge slightly beyond the outer end of the can in position to 4 form a support for engagement with a can opener adapted to sever said can end, said support having inwardly extending means for engagement with said can end when said support is in operative relation to said can.

2. A can opener support formed of a substantially rigid cylindrical member having a reinforced external rim at one end of substantially the width of a conventional double seamed can end and adapted to refine, support for engagement by a can opener, 'and'an inwardly extending portion inwardly of and adjacent to said rim for engagement with the end of a can to which said support is applied and which may be cut by said opener when so engaged.

3.A can opener support formed of a substantially rigid cylindrical member having its end portion doubled back on itself to form a reinforced rim external at one end of substantially the width of a conventional double seamed can end and adapted to form a support for engagement by a can opener, and aninwardly extending portion inwardly of and adjacent to said rim for engagement with the end of a canto which said support is applied and which may be cut by said opener when: so engaged.

MAURICE H. SHULMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Waddell Feb. 25, 1947 

